Vegan Nutrition with Dina Aronson, M.S. R.D.

Dina Aronson, MS, RD is a vegan dietitian whose specialties include chronic disease prevention, vegetarian/vegan nutrition, and lifestyle management. She is the founder and director of VeganRD.com, a nutrition consulting company. Active in many vegetarian nutrition organizations, Dina was the recipient of the American Dietetic Association's Recognized Young Dietitian of the Year Award in 2002.

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Do you like the use of isolated soy protein or do you feel it is destructive and acts like animal protein?

I think using isolated soy protein in moderation (and assuming no soy sensitivity, such as an allergy) is acceptable. It is not similar to animal protein; the amino acid makeup of each is quite different. For example, animal protein contains a significantly higher ratio of sulfur (an element in some amino acids) than soy protein. Excess sulfur-containing amino acids from animal protein have been shown to have a calcium-wasting effect in the body, increasing the risk of bone loss (reference).

In addition, animal protein in food (except for isolated whey or egg white) comes packaged with potentially damaging components, such as saturated fat. In contrast, isolated soy protein, such as the Solae brand (found in products like Gardenburger and Yves) have naturally-occurring isoflavones, which have been shown to deliver health benefits, such as a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

That said, it is certainly possible to overdo isolated soy protein, either on its own (e.g. powdered and added to foods) or in foods based on isolated soy protein (e.g. faux meats, vegan protein bars). Healthy vegans should not consume these processed foods at the expense of fresh vegetables, fruits, legumes, and whole grains. Rather, processed foods should be eaten in moderation, as a small part of an otherwise whole-foods based diet.

Disclaimer: The advice given here is for eductional purposes only. You should not use this information to diagnose or treat a health problem or disease without consulting with a qualified health care provider.

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